33 - Reasons For Electoral Failures Of The Conservative Party, 1997-2007 Flashcards

1
Q

Who won 3 successive electoral victories?

A

Blair

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2
Q

How much of the electorate voted in 2001? How much in 2005?

A

59%

61.4%

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3
Q

What did many commentators put the lower voting turnouts down to? Why?

A

Voter apathy

Blair was thought to be able to easily win

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4
Q

What did other commentators believe people were becoming disillusioned with? What system did they believe lacked support?

A

Politics

Political system

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5
Q

How did the Conservatives look? Who was well-respected despite this?

A

Tired and lackluster

Party leaders

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6
Q

What did the Tories not offer a viable alternative to?

A

Labour

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7
Q

What fundamental problem continued to bitterly divide the Tories?

A

Europe

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8
Q

When was William Hague leader of the Conservatives? Who resigned in 1997?

A

1997-2001

Major

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9
Q

Who was the obvious leader to take over from Major? What was an issue with him that cost him widespread support?

A

Clarke

Too pro-Europe

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10
Q

What faction of the Tory Party was Hague associated with? What stance did he concentrate too much on in the 2001 election?

A

Right

Anti-European stance

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11
Q

Why was the Tory Party under Hague considered too narrow to be an alternative to Blair?

A

Hague’s anti-European stance

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12
Q

When was Iain Duncan Smith leader of the Tories? How was he seen?

A

2001-03

Uncharismatic

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13
Q

Which leader performed poorly in Parliament against Blair? Who replaced him in 2003?

A

IDS

Howard

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14
Q

When was Michael Howard leader of the Tory Party? What role did he hold in Major’s government?

A

2003-05

Home Secretary

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15
Q

What quality did Howard command? How did he perform in Parliament?

A

Widespread respect

Well

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16
Q

What did the Tories lack against Blair in the 2005 election? Who replaced Howard in 2005?

A

An alternative agenda

David Cameron

17
Q

What was a consequence of the Tories trying to criticise Labour’s record of public spending? Why was this a particular problem for the Tories?

A

They were expected to do better

They were the party of reduced spending

18
Q

Why would reduced spending be an issue for the Tories? What 2 public sector areas seemed under constant pressure?

A

Voters were concerned about reductions

Schools and NHS

19
Q

What were 2 strong areas the Tories campaigned on? Why was this specifically an issue under Howard?

A

Law and immigration

He had a poor record as Home Secretary

20
Q

Who was put under a difficult position during New Labour? What did they lack in order to attack Blair’s government?

A

Tories

Viable stances

21
Q

What time period did the Tories fail to recover from with problems and divisions? What did they never look an alternative to?

A

1990s

New Labour

22
Q

What Labour victories did the Tories not fear? What hostility was feared about the electorate?

A

Election victories

Hostility towards the political system

23
Q

What divisions replaced the post-war consensus, particularly under Thatcher? What was this consensus replaced by in the 21st century?

A

Wider political divisions

A new consensus

24
Q

What did IDS tell his Party in November 2002 at a press conference?

A

“My message is simple and stark, unite or die.”